


Endurance

by simpskywalker



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Dai Bendu (Star Wars), Force Bond (Star Wars), Gen, Movie: Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Planet Bespin (Star Wars)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:53:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27608588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simpskywalker/pseuds/simpskywalker
Summary: “Ben,” Luke pleaded, but this time with a little twist on the vowel, curling it into a new meaning. He felt woefully inadequate in his knowledge of Dai Bendu, the forgotten language of the Jedi, but that was okay, he was committed to getting better, he would be a great Jedi just like his father, oh Force, hisfather—Or, Luke considers Jedi culture after the duel on Bespin.
Relationships: Luke Skywalker & Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Luke Skywalker
Comments: 14
Kudos: 108





	Endurance

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [An Imprecise Translation {ben}](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25965559) by [ghostwriterofthemachine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostwriterofthemachine/pseuds/ghostwriterofthemachine). 



> This fic was inspired by rewatching Empire Strikes Back and noticing Luke's repetition of "Ben" after the duel until the end of the movie, and how much more angsty I could make that with the word's double meaning in Dai Bendu.
> 
> [Dai Bendu](https://dai-bendu-conlang.tumblr.com/) is a very cool Jedi conlang, go check it out! I've included translations in the end notes, though it should hopefully all be understandable through context.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Luke watched in horror as the hatch closed above him, getting rid of his last possible avenue of escape. He desperately clung onto the pole with his only hand and tried not to look down at the open air entirely surrounding him. One slip and he would plummet to his death, but he couldn’t focus properly. His brain ran in a million different directions at once, still in shock from the loss of his hand and Vader’s planet-shattering declaration.

It was too much, and Luke tried to slow down his breathing, thinking he could at least stop the hyperventilation, to no real avail. That was when he remembered he wasn’t truly alone.

“Ben,” Luke called out, hoping the Force ghost would hear his call and do something, _anything_ to help him. He waited a few moments, his skin crawling in anticipation, but received no response. He tried reaching out in the Force itself, but Ben’s ever-present usually warm golden signature was curiously absent.

“Ben, please,” he choked out, trying again. Once again, there was no response. Luke cried out in despair as his fingers slipped off of the pole. He only barely caught himself, hanging upside down and in even more danger of falling. This couldn’t be it. This couldn’t be where everything ended.

“ _Ben_ ,” Luke pleaded, but this time with a little twist on the vowel, curling it into a new meaning. He felt woefully inadequate in his knowledge of Dai Bendu, the forgotten language of the Jedi, but at least he was certain of this word. It was one of the first lessons scrawled in Ben’s notebooks, which Luke had dedicated himself to studying. He had learned from whatever bits and pieces of Jedi culture he could unearth, and his time with Yoda had been invaluable for finally conversing with a native speaker. Luke had stumbled awkwardly over the Dai Bendu pronunciations when confronted with Yoda’s fluency, but that was okay, he was committed to getting better, he would be a great Jedi just like his father, oh Force, his _father_ —

He closed his eyes, blocking out the nightmare all around him, and chanted “ _ben_ ” over and over again, commanding himself to endure. Luke didn’t feel particularly confident, still barely processing his new injury and reeling from the revelation at the end of the duel, but he shouted “ _ben_ ” like he believed it. Like he knew he had the strength to get through this.

Lost in the repetition, all of a sudden, Luke felt a new yet familiar connection bloom in his mind. Somehow, he instantly recognized the fiery presence flooding through his senses.

“Leia! Hear me, Leia,” Luke shouted through the Force, praying she would recognize him in return. He nearly cried out of relief when she called out his name in response. He was still dangling upside down from a pole, but he finally felt hope deep in his soul.

Soon enough, the Falcon arrived, and Luke’s heart swelled with love and appreciation for his friends as Lando swept him away and onto the ship. He immediately wrapped his arms around Leia, sending shaky waves of comfort over to her in the Force. Luke wasn’t sure how aware Leia was of her power, but nonetheless she relaxed into their hug and sent back her own quavering ripple of affection and gratitude for his survival.

Luke let Leia shepherd him into a cot and scold him about getting some rest. Normally he would protest, but he was just too exhausted in his bones that he laid back and let her go without snipping back. He hurt all over, and despite being safe in his bed, still felt like he could tumble to his doom at any moment. The anxieties of the day washed over him, and he almost didn’t notice when a dark presence knocked insistently at the edge of his shields, trying to slither its way inside.

A deep voice resonated within his mind. “Luke,” Vader called out, coating the name with a glossy shadow, twisting it with the brute force of the dark.

“Father,” Luke responded before wincing at his instinctual response. Vader didn’t deserve the familial title, and most certainly didn’t deserve the cruel delight Luke could feel in the Force.

“Son, come with me,” Vader commanded, and Luke flinched again, thinking of Vader’s outstretched arm on Bespin. He would never abandon his ideals and join Vader, and bit back his spiteful reply in favor of slowly peeling Vader out of his mind.

He ignored Vader’s protests and tried to reach out again to the ever-elusive Force ghost. “Ben, why didn’t you tell me?” Luke asked, even though he knew he wouldn’t get an answer. Ben’s betrayal stung, despite Luke not being sure what he would have done if he had known earlier. He couldn’t help but dwell on the lies and possibilities, as his thoughts swirled around him in a mess of confusion and hurt.

“Luke, it is your destiny,” Vader said with an edge of desperation, as Luke pried the talons of Vader’s anger off of his heart. Once again, he refused to respond, gritting his teeth and focusing his energy on the arduous process of tearing himself away.

It was too much. It was always too much. As Luke finally banished Vader’s murky pain and hatred, he couldn’t hold back his tears any longer, and began to cry.

“ _Ben_ ,” Luke sobbed out, grasping at a semblance of stability in the word. He could endure this. He _had_ to endure this, for his friends, for the Rebellion, for himself.

Through the tears, Luke considered what Vader had declared. He would not let anybody but himself decide his own destiny, and Vader had no right to steal that decision for himself out of a twisted sort of familial obligation. Luke would be a Jedi, and a Jedi never gave into the dark. A Jedi stayed true to himself. A Jedi never lied.

With that in mind, Luke bit his lip and thought back to all he had learned of Dai Bendu and his true heritage. “Ben,” he called out once more, before taking a moment to ensure he didn’t make any mistake in the grammar or pronunciation. He needed to get this right, he thought before whispering out his question to the Force.

“¿ _Im alunru keel tehm nev sedoremak fehl_?”

**Author's Note:**

>  _Ben_ = something close to "endurance" or "endure this," with the implication of both inherent strength and strength yet to be gained.  
> ¿ _Im alunru keel tehm nev sedoremak fehl_? = Why didn't you tell me the truth?


End file.
